The present invention relates to an air compressor, and particularly relates to an air compressor that is mounted on a tank.
An air compressor may be used to provide a hand-held tool with pneumatic power. The compressor is part of an apparatus that further includes a motor for driving the compressor and a tank for storing compressed air. A drive assembly operatively interconnects the motor with the compressor, and is mounted on the tank with the motor and the compressor. The drive assembly may include a pulley, a flywheel, and a linkage structure that cooperate to reciprocate a piston within the compressor upon rotation of an output shaft at the motor. The reciprocating piston pumps compressed air into the tank. A pneumatic power hose extends from the tank to the pneumatically powered tool. In some cases the tank is provided with wheels and a handle so that the entire apparatus is portable.
In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus includes a motor with an output shaft. A solitary air compressor is linked to the output shaft so as to be driven by the output shaft. The compressor contains a piston in a cylinder. A first fan is mounted on the output shaft to direct cooling air to the motor. A second fan is mounted on the output shaft to direct cooling air to the compressor.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second fans are mounted on opposite end portions of the output shaft, and are both oriented to direct the cooling air to flow in the same direction along the output shaft. The first fan is located at an end of the motor remote from the cylinder. The second cooling fan is located between the cylinder and an adjacent end of the motor.
The preferred embodiment further includes a flywheel and a linkage structure interconnected between the output shaft and the piston. The output shaft extends through an opening in the linkage structure. In accordance with this feature of the invention, the opening in the linkage structure has an ovate periphery closely surrounding an ovate path of movement taken by the output shaft relative to the linkage structure upon rotation of the flywheel.